Rubber Composition Using Silane-Modified Polymer for Tire Tread
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rubber compositions for tires face challenges in achieving a well-balanced improvement in mechanical strength, hardness, rolling resistance performance, and processability due to the contradictory nature of these properties, particularly when using carbon black with small particle sizes, which affects dispersibility and productivity.
Innovation Solution
A rubber composition incorporating a conjugated diene-based polymer with a specific structure, combined with carbon black of average particle size between 5 to 100 nm, and a specific compounding ratio, to enhance dispersibility and rolling resistance while maintaining mechanical strength and hardness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If carbon black with small particle size (5-100 nm) is used to improve mechanical strength and wear resistance, then interaction between carbon black and rubber component increases, but dispersibility of carbon black deteriorates due to high cohesive force between particles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a silane-modified polymer as an intermediary substance between carbon black particles and rubber matrix. This modifier reduces the cohesive force between carbon black particles through silane groups that interact with both the carbon black surface and rubber molecules, enabling small particle size carbon black (5-100 nm) to disperse uniformly without aggregation, thus resolving the contradiction between improved mechanical strength and maintained dispersibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the rubber component by incorporating silane-modified polymers with specific functional groups. This modification alters the surface properties and interaction mechanisms between carbon black and rubber, allowing the system to achieve both high strength (through small particle size carbon black) and good dispersibility (through modified interaction parameters) simultaneously
2Strength
If carbon black with small particle size is used to improve mechanical strength and hardness, then steering stability improves, but rolling resistance performance deteriorates due to heat generation
Solution Approach 1:
The silane-modified polymer acts as a heat dissipation intermediary by creating a modified interface between carbon black particles and rubber matrix. This intermediary layer reduces friction and heat generation at the filler-rubber interface, allowing the tire to maintain high hardness (improved steering stability) while minimizing energy loss to heat (reduced rolling resistance)
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system combining carbon black, silane-modified polymer, and rubber in specific proportions. This composite structure leverages the reinforcing effect of small particle size carbon black for hardness while the silane-modified polymer component mitigates heat generation, achieving both improved steering stability and reduced rolling resistance through synergistic material composition
3Strength
If carbon black with small particle size is used to improve mechanical strength, then wear resistance improves, but processability deteriorates due to high viscosity
Solution Approach 1:
The silane-modified polymer serves as a lubricating intermediary that reduces friction between carbon black particles and rubber molecules during mixing and processing. This intermediary effect lowers the overall viscosity of the compound despite using high-loading small particle size carbon black, thereby improving processability while maintaining the mechanical strength benefits of fine carbon black dispersion
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The proposed rubber composition exhibits improved processability, rolling resistance performance, and maintains mechanical strength and hardness, addressing the limitations of previous tire compositions.
Implementation Method 1
the carbon black exhibits its reinforcing effect by physically or chemically adsorbing the aforementioned rubber component onto a surface of respective particles of the carbon black
Implementation Method 2
the resulting rubber composition can be improved in properties such as mechanical strength and wear resistance owing to a large interaction between the carbon black and the rubber component
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a rubber composition including (A) at least one rubber component selected from the group consisting of a synthetic rubber and a natural rubber; (B) a polymer of farnesene; and (C) carbon black having an average particle size of from 5 to 100 nm, a content of the carbon black (C) in the rubber composition being from 20 to 100 parts by mass on the basis of 100 parts by mass of the rubber component (A).